Ale Möller’s live performance at this year’s Polar Music Prize was a huge success. The Award ceromony took place at the Stockhom Concert Hall and King Carl XVI Gustaf presented one million Swedish Kronor (approx 130000 USD) to celloist Yo-Yo Ma and composer Paul Simon.
Ale Möller made no less than three performances during the ceremony, including his own composition ‘Polardance’ (watch the video below) and two numbers with full orchestra: Paul Simon’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ together with Eurovision winner Loreen, and Simon’s ‘You Can Call Me Al’ together with Timbuktu & Damn.
Both Yo-Yo Ma and Paul Simon were very impressed by Ale’s peformances and after the prize ceremony showed their appreciation and expressed hope for a continued contact in the future.
STRAIGHT FROM JAPAN
Only 24 hours prior to when Ale Möller first took the stage at the Stockholm Concert Hall, Möller had landed at Arlanda airport after an 11 hour flight from Japan via Beijing. In Japan, he performed a very successful tour together with the Ale Möller Band and in conjunction with the tour they released the band’s new album ARGAI to Japanese fans which will also feature on in the Folk Radio UK playlist soon. The tour was a great success and the band will return to Japan during the fall of 2013. The album will be released in the rest of the world followed by a tour of Scandinavia in October.
NEW ALBUM: ARGAI
During the last two years, Ale Möller Band has written and recorded the material from the new album ARGAI. The title means “Welcome, come in” in the West African Fula language, which is still spoken by the Fula people. The inspiration came from a bewildering trip to work with musicians in West Africa.
Just as with their previous albums, the new material is a compote of traditional music styles woven together from various parts of the world. The band members have varied musical backgrounds and together they create world music which does not bottom out in their personal backgrounds but also through their strength as musicians.
Ale Möller Band consists of: Ale Möller, Maria Stellas, Mamadou Sene, Magnus Stinnerbom, Sebastian Dubé och Rafael Sida Huizar.
Argai is released September 26, 2012 via Playground Music.
About the Polar Music Prize
The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by the late Stig ”Stikkan” Anderson, the publisher, lyricist and manager of ABBA. Its name stems from Anderson´s record label, Polar Records. It is considered one of the most prestigious and unique music prizes in the world, crossing over musical boundaries and awarded to individuals, groups and institutions in recognition of exceptional achievements.
Previous Laureates who hae received the prize include B.B. King, Gilberto Gil, Led Zeppelin, Steve Reich, Sonny Rollins, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Björk, Patti Smith, Kronos Quartet and many more.